Arsenal vs Sevilla Prediction & Match Preview
After a disappointing loss to Newcastle United in the Premier League derby, Arsenal is eager to regain their winning momentum as they face Sevilla in the fourth round of the Champions League group stages.
The Gunners are determined to maintain their top spot in Group B and are widely considered the favorites in this Wednesday’s clash.
Despite the absence of key players such as Gabriel Jesus, Martin Odegaard, Thomas Partey, Smith Rowe, and Jurrien Timber due to injuries, a home victory should be expected, as Sevilla has struggled in their away fixtures.
On the other hand, Los Sevillanos have yet to secure a victory in this season’s elite competition. Given their recent five-game winless streak in La Liga, anything other than a routine home triumph for Arsenal would be a major surprise.
Sergio Ramos, Fernando, and Marcao are all expected to miss out due to injuries for the Andalusian side. In their previous encounter during the Emirates Cup in London, Arsenal dominated Sevilla with a 6-0 victory.
Team News:
A few days after coming off the bench to score a consolation goal in an EFL Cup defeat to West Ham United, Martin Odegaard, whose introduction at the London Stadium raised questions, did not feature in the squad for the Newcastle defeat.
Arteta simply stated that Odegaard was “not fit” due to a hip issue. Whether Odegaard will be fit for this week’s match remains uncertain.
However, Thomas Partey (muscle), Emile Smith Rowe (knee), Jurrien Timber (knee), and the hero of matchday three, Gabriel Jesus (hamstring), will all be sidelined, leaving Arteta with a notably thinner squad.
Players like Oleksandr Zinchenko, Fabio Vieira, and Leandro Trossard may contend for starting positions, while the under-fire Havertz could find himself on the bench after narrowly avoiding a sending-off at St James’ Park.
As for Sevilla, Alonso’s squad managed to secure a draw against 10-man Celta Vigo without the services of Sergio Ramos and Fernando, who are both dealing with calf and back issues, respectively.
Neither player was able to train with the team on Sunday. There is still a possibility that both players could recover in time for the trip to North London. Backup goalkeeper Marko Dmitrovic is available again after recovering from a finger sprain.
However, Marcao (adductor) and Alfonso Pastor (knee) will not be available. Youssef En-Nesyri, who came off the bench to score a late equalizer against Celta, is likely to be recalled to lead the Palanganas’ attack, while Dodi Lukebakio is a candidate to join the Moroccan forward in place of Oliver Torres.
